The First Tee with Ryan

From the outside, a lot of people think college golf is just traveling to tournaments and playing at some great venues. While that is definitely one of the best parts, most of the time the reality is a lot more structured. Being a college golfer means balancing school, practice, workouts, and competition. Most weeks require a lot of discipline and time management.

A typical week usually starts with workouts in the morning. Starting the day early before there are any classes is a great time to squeeze in some workouts. In the afternoons is when we normally practice or play. This can range anywhere from two to five hours on practice days. After a good day of practice, all my classes are at night time, being a part of the MBA program. This is a very nice benefit for me because it keeps my days free to work on my body and my golf game. It is very important for me to have a designated practice routine each day so I can be the most productive with my time.

Workouts and team activities are also a big part of the week. Strength and conditioning sessions help build stability, mobility, and endurance. These are all important for maintaining consistency throughout a long season, especially 36 hole days. At the same time, spending time with teammates builds a competitive environment that pushes everyone to improve. Our team personally enjoys all playing basketball together sometimes.

Tournament weeks are a little different. Instead of normal practice and going to classes, the focus shifts to preparation and travel. Teams often arrive a day or two early to play a practice round and develop a strategy for the event. Once the tournament starts, every shot matters. It is very important for us to have prepared the best we can.

On weekends, we normally spend at least one day qualifying for the next event. We also normally have one of these days off to catch up with school, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. I also normally have some time to get out and play for fun on the off days. The combination of competition, homework, teamwork, and personal growth makes the experience of college golf unlike anything else.

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